Trump administration backs baker who refused to make cake for gay couple

(Reuters)

The Trump administration filed papers at the U.S. Supreme Court backing a Christian baker in Colorado whom a state court ruled against for declining to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.

In the brief, Acting Solicitor General Jeff Wall said Jack Phillips should be exempt from Colorado’s anti-discrimination law because making custom cakes is a form of free expression protected under the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.

The high court agreed in June to hear Phillips’ appeal of the state court ruling that his refusal to make the cake violated the anti-discrimination law.

Phillips contends the law violated his constitutional rights to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion.

The legal fight broke out in 2012 when Phillips told gay couple David Mullins and Charlie Craig that because of his Christian beliefs, his store’s policy was to deny service to customers wanting to purchase cakes to celebrate a same-sex wedding.